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Benthic Communities of Shallow-Water Reefs of Abrolhos, Brazil

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Benthic Communities of Shallow-Water Reefs of Abrolhos, Brazil Rev. bras. oceanogr., 45(1/2):35-43, 1997 BENTHIC COMMUNITIES OF SHALLOW-WATER REEFS OF ABROLHOS, BRAZIL Roberto Villaça1 & Fábio B. Pitombo2 lInstituto de Biologia da UniversidadeFederal Fluminense Departamento de Biologia Marinha (Caixa Postal 100644, 24001-970 Niterói, RJ, Brazil) 2Instituto de Biologia da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (23851-970 Seropédica, RJ, Brazil) . Abstract: The benthic communities of fringing and mushroom-shaped shalIow-water reefs of the Abrolhos region (southern coast of Bahia) were surveyed. Line transects were used to estimate coral and alga1 percentage cover. Mussismilia braziliensis is the most conspicuous coral species in the majority of the communities surveyed, but turf algae make up the dominant cover in alI but one studied reef. In general, communities on mushroom-shaped reefs have higher diversity and higher coral cover than on fringing reefs. For both reef morphologies, the coral to alga cover ratio does not show marked differences between annual surveys, despite the high productivity characteristic ofthe dominant algal species. Resumo: Foram estudadas comunidades bentônicas de pouca profundidade nos recifes em franja e chapeirões da região de Abrolhos (costa sul da Bahia). A cobertura das espécies foi estimada pelo método de transect de linha. Mussismilia braziliensis é a espécie de coral mais importante na maioria das comunidades estudadas, porém as algas em tufo são os organismos dominantes em todos os recifes estudados à exceção de apenas um. Em geral, as comunidades nos chapeirões têm maior diversidade e maior cobertura de coral do que as dos recifes em franja. Nos dois tipos de recife, a relação de cobertura coral-alga não apresenta diferença significativa no tempo, apesar da alta produtividade característica do tipo de alga dominante. Descriptors: Benthic communities, Coral reefs, Abrolhos, Brazil. Descritores: Comunidades bentônicas, Recifes de coral, Abrolhos, Brasil. Introduction global environmental impacts and the need for their conservation, a monitoring project was introduced to The Abrolhos coral reef complex, located off study the shalIow benthic communities of these reefs. the Eastem coast of Brazil, is the southemmost coral This study is part of a larger monitoring program reefs in the Atlantic Oceano The Abrolhos reefs coordinated by the Marine Park Direction to provide exhibit several different morphologies (Leão et aI., reef conservation. 1985, 1988), and are mainly characterized by a low In the present study, permanent transects were coral diversity with a high degree of endemism instalIed for annual monitoring of algal and coral (Laborel, 1969a, 1969b; Pitombo et a!., 1988) what cover between morphologicalIy different reefs with makes this an unique environment. the aim of contributing to the understanding of the Despite the ecological importance of this community structure of the southemmost coral reefs ecosystem, very little is known about its community in the Atlantic 0cêim. structure. Part ofthe reef area of Abrolhos lies within the first Brazilian Marine National Park, "Parque Study area Nacional Marinho dos Abrolhos" (Gonchorosky et aI. 1989) created in 1983. Because of the increased The Abrolhos reefs are spread over an concern about the susceptibility of reef ecosystems to approximate area of6.0000 km2 offthe south coast of the Bahia State (17°20' to 18°1O'S and 38°05' to 36 Rev. bras. oceanogr., 45(112), 1997 39°00'W) (Fig. 1). The reefs are grouped into two transects is shown in Table 1, along with the used ares: the first is found nearshore (10 to 20 kilometers eodes and depths. off the coastline) -Timbebas Reef, Parcel das Paredes Line transect methodology (Loya, 1972) was Reefs, Coroa Vermelha Reef, Sebastião Gomes Reef, used to describe quantitatively the structure of the and Viçosa Reef - and the seeond lies 60 to 70 reef community. Line transects of 10m long were kilometers offshore, surrounding the Abrolhos placed in characteristic zones of different reefs. A Arehipelago (Parcel dos Abrolhos Reefs) (Leão et aI., metal pin was fixed in each survey site so that the 1985, 1988). The prevailing winds blow from the same transeet could be repeated over time. northeast and east during most of the year with The folIowing community indices were used: speeds ranging from 4 to 15 knots. During the winter, southern winds are common with speeds 1 -Relative frequeney index (Fr =Fi / Ft X 100); ranging from 17 to 21 knots. Around the nearshore where: Fi = no. oftransectsin whicha speciesoccurs reefs, the depth of the shelf does not exceed 15 and Ft = total number oftransects) meters but the Parcel dos Abrolhos Reefs area, lie 2 - Taxonomic dominanee Dr = Di / 160 X 100; between 20 and 35 m deep. The water temperature where Di= total percentage eover of one taxon in alI varies from 24°C (winter) to 27°C (summer) and the transects and "160" is the total length in meters of tidal amplitude ranges from -0.1 to 2.4 m throughout alI transects. the year (Coutinho et aI., 1993). 3 - Index ofImportance (I = Fr X Dt /100) 4 - Shannon diversity (H') and Pielou's eveness (E)(Legendre & Legendre, 1979) Material and methods 5 - Functional group dominance (DG = ~Di X 100; where ~Di is the sum of the cover of each taxon that Sampling was carried out in three periods: belongs to a Functional group (ex. Coral, Zoanthids, January of 1992, December of 1992 and November of Turf algae, Frondose algae and Crustose coralline 1993. Five samplings sites were deftned, three of algae) in each transect. them were surveyed more than once. A list of 20' 10' 39" 50' 40' \ 20' \ O Timbebas )\éJ Reef 30' .GuaritaI. -1 (\ nta Borbora I. 40' ~:l. ~ c~qva~ j~ ~s RedondaI. 50' ;;'? ~~':r" 3 V Abrolhos ' .2~' '" ~ . ~ . Abrolhos O ArChipela~ I eu Coroa ~.V Siriba I. Archipelago \ ' 18°~~~ Vermelha ~ 5 I Reef Reef AbrolhosParcel dO!efsRee ~ I 10' ~ I 10 Km I lKm SuesteI. I ~I "- ", Fig. 1. Map of the Abrolhos region, with the location of the studied reefs. (1) Fringing reef at Santa Barbara Island; (2) Fringing reef at Siriba Island; (3) Mushroom-shaped reef at the Parcel dos Abrolhos Reefs; (4) Mushroom-shaped reef at the southem border ofthe Timbebas Reef; (5) Mushroom-shaped reef dose to Sueste Island ofthe Abrolhos Archipelago. Vll.,LAÇA& PITOMBO: Benthic communities of Abrolhos 37 Table 1. Transect location, code used (code), depth (meters) and date of sampling LOCATION CODE DEPTH MONTH Timbebas Reef TIN3 4 Nov 1993 Sueste Reef SUN3 6 Nov 1993 Parcel dos Abrolhos Reef ROD2 8 Dec 1992 Parcel dos Abrolhos Reef RON3 8 Nov 1993 Santa Barbara I. Coral Zone BCJ2 2.8 Jan 1992 Santa Barbara I. Coral Zone BCD2 2.8 Dec 1992 Santa Barbara I. Coral Zone BCN3 2.8 Nov 1993 Santa Barbara I. Palythoa Zone BPJ2 0.9 Jan 1992 Santa Barbara I. Palythoa Zone BPD2 0.9 Dec 1992 Santa Barbara I. Palythoa Zone BPN3 0.9 Nov 1992 Siriba Island Coral Zone SCJ2 1.9 Jan 1992 Siriba Island Coral Zone SCD2 1.9 Dec 1992 Siriba Island Coral Zone SCN3 1.9 Nov 1993 Siriba Island AIgae Zone SAJ2 1.3 Jan 1992 Siriba Island Algae Zone SAD2 1.3 Dec 1992 Siriba Island AIgae Zone SAN3 1.3 Nov 1993 The similarity between samples was estimated Phaeophyta). The 10m transects were placed at the using the Serensen index (S = 2a/b+c, where a = Palythol.\and in the coral zones. number of common species among two samples, b = number of species of one sample and c = number of 2: Frtngtng reef at the northern face of Siriba Island species of the other sample compared) (Legendre & Legendre, 1979). Cluster analysis using UPGMA This profUe was 32 m longo The substratum is strategy was performed by FITOPAC (Sheperd, formed by boulders and sand in the first 10 m (0.0 to 1994) software package. 0.8 m depth), with a low density of sessile benthic The species abundance and. diversity were also organisms. The fOllowing 13 m (1.0 to 1.6 m depth) calculated for coraIs but only to compare it with other are marked by dense ITondose macroalgae growing studies (e.g. Liddell & Ohlhorst, 1987). on a carbonl\te sand substratum. The last 10 m (1.6 to 2.7 m depth) are characterized by irregular calcareous coralline substratum, massive and Results encrusting corais, occasional colonies of the gorgonaC@!UlP/($xaurella regia, turf algae and Qualitative description crustose cOflllline algae. The 10m transects were placed in the algae and in the coral zones. The five surveyed locations are qualitatively described below: 3: MushrQom-s.hapedreef at the southern border of the Timbebas r(Jf!fcomplex 1: Fringing reef at the southern face of Santa Barbara Island The top of this reef has approximately 40 m in diameter and can be subdivided into 3 distinct The profile length was 60 m ranging ITomOto zones: the central fiat depression, the crest, and the 4 m depth. In the first 20 m (0.0 to 0.8 m depth) the border. The central fiat, with approximately 4 m bottom is mainly covered by crustose coralline algae, deep, is characterized by high coral cover with turf algae and zoanthids. The next 25 m (0.8 to 2.5 crustose and turf algae growing between coral m depth) are characterized by Palythoa caribaeorum colonies. The crest reaches the low tide leveI and is and turf algae. The last 15 m (2 to 4 m depth) are mainly epvered by crustose coralline algae, vermetid distinguished by the presence of massive coraIs and gastropoos with the zoanthid Zoanthus spp filling in turf algae. The lower leveI of the profile is covered by some crevices. The border zone is covered by the ITondose algae sparsely distributed (mostly by ramos!\!hydrocoral Millepora alcicornis and some massive coraIs.
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